''KingdomHearts coded'' (yes, that is exactly how it is capitalized and punctuated) is an episodic mobile phone game set after the events of ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. While organizing the records in his journal from his travels with Sora and his friends, Jiminy Cricket's curiosity about the line "thank Naminé" results in him finding a message that he did not write: "Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it." To investigate this message, King Mickey digitizes the contents of the journal and goes into the simulated world to investigate, awakening a virtual Sora on Destiny Islands to carry out the contents of the journal to uncover the identity of "them". However, the virtual Sora encounters "bugs", which take the form of red and black blocks. The plot takes the data Sora through seven worlds from previous games.

The game was later [[VideoGameRemake remade]] for the UsefulNote/NintendoDS as ''Kingdom Hearts Re:coded'', which received an international release. It adds a new multiplayer mode called the Avatar Menu that allows some communication between games, implements aspects of ''KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'''s Command Deck system for combat, and a new system called the Clock Program that gives temporary buffs as the player fills up the Clock gauge by dealing damage.

Like ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'' before it, ''coded'' received HD cutscenes for the CompilationRerelease ''Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 [=ReMIX=].'' Gameplay is not available, but cutscenes are rendered for scenes in the Disney world, as well as a new secret ending. The version included is the ''Re:coded'' version.

%%YMMV tropes are at YMMV/KingdomHearts.----!!This game provide examples of:* AbsurdlyHighLevelCap: Averted in ''Re:coded'', which is a first for this series. As per usual you can finish the game in the Level 50 area, but the optional post-game system sectors pit you against powerful enemies, beating the final boss gets you the Oathkeeper keyblade that eventually gains the Exp Boost ability, and each level you gain is technically two levels if you put them on the paths between [=CPU=]s. Thus level grinding is nowhere near as tedious or time-consuming as past games, and the final optional system sector at Hollow Bastion has a recommended level of 80, but before that are level 70 and 60 sectors, so you can work your way up gradually.* AdaptationExpansion: The movie version of the game in ''HD II.5 [=ReMIX=]'' has plenty. More emphasis is placed on the WhatMeasureIsANonHuman aspect of the story, on the friendships Data Sora makes, the emergence of Data Sora's heart (foreshadowing [[spoiler:that hearts can be grown, as revealed by Xemnas in Dream Drop Distance]]), and adding scenes connecting Re:coded to Dream Drop Distance and even χ [chi], further foreshadowing Kingdom Hearts III.* AmbiguousSyntax: "Would a single one of you suffice if what you faced was not a single one of him?" [[spoiler: We thought it meant they had only faced "half" of Xehanort before, and next will be the whole. No, it means there are ''thirteen of him.'']]* AndYourRewardIsClothes: The purpose of the Avatar section in ''Re:coded''.* ArcWords: "Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it."** The less awkward, "We must return to free them from their torment" is used in the cellphone version.* AreWeThereYet: From Sora, upon entering Layer 20 of Olympus Coliseum's unlockable 30-layer challenge. (And right after that, Hercules comments that getting through the place is a [[LampshadeHanging labor]] in itself.)* AscendedMeme: "Pet goldfish? As if!"* AscendedExtra: This is the [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories second]] time Jiminy and his journal are actually important to the plot.** And then he gets DemotedToExtra about halfway through.* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: [[spoiler: The fight against the bugs inside Riku. However, Sora fights the battle instead of Riku.]]* BigBad: The equivalent to that of this game is the one who controls the bugs: [[spoiler:the data version of Sora's Heartless, who here has become a Darkside.]]* BigDamnHeroes: Several.** Riku and Mickey fight Pete and Malificent after [[spoiler:Sora's Keyblade breaks.]]** Goofy saves Sora from Pete in Hollow Bastion.** Mickey helps Sora defeat [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless.]]** Donald and Goofy snap Sora out of his depression in [[spoiler:Castle Oblivion]].* {{BFS}}: ** The Zone of Ruin [[LimitBreak Overclock Finisher]].** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud's Buster Sword]]* BonusBoss:** Olympus Coliseum has three more bosses that can be fought if you go through the [[BonusDungeon optional layers]]. The Rock Titan is found on Layer 15, a Behemoth Heartless is fought on Layer 25, and the Ice Titan is encountered on Layer 30.** [[spoiler:At the end of the optional Hollow Bastion System Sector, a Bugged Data-Roxas can be fought. He has more HP, can buff himself over the course of the fight, and has the ability to inflict Clock Rewind with some of his attacks.]]** [[spoiler:A Bugged Data-Riku is the last opponent of the 100 Floor Avatar Sector. He's basically the same as before, but stronger and has more HP.]]* BonusDungeon: Layers 6-30 of Olympus Coliseum and the extra system sectors, especially Hollow Bastion sector 2.* BoringYetPractical: Air Spiral and Aerial Sweep. Mediocre damage, but they're {{Spin Attack}}s that hit enemies over a decent area, reload quickly, and have low memory costs. Also, Mega Flare doesn't look half as cool as the other Command Finishers, but it does a lot of damage and hits every enemy on screen, and you just need to push a button.* BossInMookClothing: Eliminators. They're [[PaletteSwap red]] Defenders who have massive amounts of HP relative to your current level, are shielded from all frontal attacks like their original counterparts, have projectile magic which can inflict any [[StandardStatusEffects status ailment]] at random, are themselves ''immune'' to all status effects, [[MadeOfIron will not flinch from attacks]], and can [[TeleportSpam teleport]], often right between Sora and where he needs to go.* BossRush: Several, most notably [[spoiler:the series of bosses in Hollow Bastion -- Pete twice and Riku three times -- with you likely forgetting to change Keyblades/Commands because you haven't received any for the past hour or so]] and [[spoiler:the fights against Sora's Heartless]].* BraggingRightsReward: The Ultima Weapon of this game requires you to complete a Level 80, 13 floor system sector after you complete the game, the final floor holding the BonusBoss. The problem is once you get it, there's nothing left to do.** Unless you decide to take it into the Avatar Sector, fight [[spoiler:Bugged Data Riku]], or take on the Bonus sector again with various Cheats turned on to make things harder.* BreakingTheFourthWall: One of the floor challenges is "Play at night." Cue much confusion (and for some, inconvenience) at trying to figure out how to do that until you realize that it's talking about playing the game at night in the real world, which the DS knows because it has a clock installed.** There is a version of this trope in the game itself, as Data Sora arrives in Disney Castle... Except it's not the one in the journal, it's the one where Mickey and the other characters are watching the journal itself, complete with the monitor showing them watching the monitor... * BreatherEpisode: For the series as a whole. It was released after the emotionally intense duo of [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]] and [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Birth by Sleep,]] and before the fairly dark [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsDreamDropDistance Dream Drop Distance.]] Notably, it's the only entry in the series to date where [[BigBad Xehanort]] does not appear at all nor is even mentioned [[spoiler: except for TheStinger]].* BroughtDownToNormal: This happened to Sora three times.** First after [[spoiler:his Keyblade breaks.]]** Second after [[spoiler:the bugs in Riku's memory steal his abilities.]]** And finally when [[spoiler:memory]] Maleficent places a spell on him that disables commands and abilities.* ButtMonkey: The ''2.5 HD [=ReMIX=]'' version reveals Iago's reactions to getting attacked by Data Sora when it comes to reclaiming Genie's lamp and when it comes to attacking Jafar's lamp. Needless to say, he's not quite happy about what Data Sora's doing to him.* CallBack: Some scenes in the game are exact replicas of Sora's [[{{VideoGame/KingdomHearts}} original quest.]]** "This world has been connected. Tied to the ____"** While talking to the newly-created Data-Sora in the Awakening, Mickey nearly quotes the mysterious voice from the original word-for-word.** [[spoiler: Mickey's letter contains the phrase "I should have known there were no coincidences", paraphrasing the text "[[{{There Are No Coincidences}} There are no coincidences in fate]]" used in the original trailer for ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' from ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+]]'']]** In ''2.5'', Maleficent expresses interest in [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsX the Book of Prophecy]], which she claims is highly similar to the Datascape.* CameraCentering: Tapping the R button.* CastFromHitPoints: The Two-Edged Blade ability on Oblivion increases the damage dealt by normal attacks and attack commands, but causes Sora to lose some HP every time he successfully hits.* ChaosArchitecture: The worlds inside [[spoiler: Riku's memories]] get very screwed up by bugs.* ChekhovsGunman: The mysterious figure Sora meets at his awakening is [[spoiler: Roxas.]]** [[spoiler:The Darkside Heartless]] at the start of the game? Yeah, that was [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless]].* TheChessmaster: [[spoiler:Naminé/Data-Naminé]], to set the stage for Sora to awaken the painful memories of [[spoiler:Roxas, Xion, and Ventus]] inside him and to ultimately set up for [[spoiler:their rescue, and the rescue of Terra, Aqua, Naminé, and Axel.]]* ChewingTheScenery: Even Data-Sora gets in on the action this time.-->'''Sora:''' I never would have made it here without the three of you. But it's my turn now. Let me be your light, and I'll show you the way home!\\'''Donald:''' [[LampshadeHanging Um, isn't that hamming it up a little?]]* CopyProtection: ''Re:coded'', [[HilariousInHindsight kinda fittingly]].* ContinuityNod: The appearance of [[spoiler:Leon and Yuffie.]]* CoversAlwaysLie: Riku and Kairi appear in official art, but they only appear in flashbacks shown by the journal [[spoiler:and as their older selves in the game's ending]]. Their data versions aren't actually present in the game at all, though [[spoiler:the journal data itself]] takes the form of Riku, supposedly to [[PanderingToTheBase give the fangirls something to look at.]]* CutsceneIncompetence: The blocks which [[spoiler: trap Donald and Goofy in Hollow Bastion]] are the same type that they were easily breaking just moments ago.* DefeatMeansFriendship: Sora and [[spoiler:Data-Roxas]] [[MindScrew somewhat]].* DiscOneFinalDungeon: Inside Data-Riku. In fact, when episode 7 was released, it was actually believed to ''be'' the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, since episode 8 had yet to be announced.* DiscOneNuke: In the remake, once you finished Olympus Coliseum, the fourth world in the game, assuming you know where to look and how to make the command, you can get every command in the game, even the GameBreaker (see YMMV tab) without much difficulty in grinding it (outside Olympus Coliseum).* DualWielding: [[spoiler:Roxas]], [[{{VideoGame/KingdomHearts}} as]] [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII alw]][[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 ays.]]* ExcusePlot: The whole story with the bugs, Data Riku, and Maleficent and Pete. It does, however, force Mickey, Donald, and Goofy to consider [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman what the value is of the life of a created being]], and sheds new light on the nature of Keyblades and hearts.* FightingFromTheInside: [[spoiler:Data-Riku, after being corrupted by bugs. And Sora helps him with it.]]* FightingYourFriend: [[spoiler:Pete infects Data-Riku with bugs and forces him to fight Data-Sora three times in a row. Later on they turn into a fake Data-Riku that you have to fight while inside the real Data-Riku trying to remove his bugs.]]* FinalBoss: [[spoiler:Data-Roxas]]* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler: When Data Naminé explains to Micky and Data Sora that the real Sora's keeping painful memories of others deep within his own heart during the game's ending, Axel, Roxas, Naminé and Xion can all be seen as the source of the painful memories (alongside Terra, Aqua and Ventus), foreshadowing the plot twist in ''Dream Drop Distance'' that they all managed to gain hearts of their own. While re:coded blurs their faces to make them hard to recognize, they aren't within the movie version included within ''2.5 HD [=ReMIX=]'', allowing them to be recognized.]]* AFormYouAreComfortableWith: It's {{Implied|Trope}} that [[spoiler:the reason Jiminy's Journal took the form of Riku was because it was the only person other than Sora that everyone was comfortable talking to]].* GaidenGame: This game has less bearing on the main StoryArc compaired to to other games in the series.* GetBackHereBoss: Iago, even more than in previous installments, as now it involves tedious platforming.* GlamourFailure: [[spoiler:In Castle Oblivion, the rooms don't actually look like the world.]]* AGlitchInTheMatrix: And you have to fix them.* GuiltByCoincidence: Data-Sora blames the mysterious figure [[spoiler:Data-Riku]] for causing the glitches before finding out what he's actually there for.* InfinityMinusOneSword: Zero/One, a pixelated Kingdom Key with a variety of offensive abilities, won by defeating [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless]]. The Oathkeeper is won from the final boss but has more defensive abilities dedicated to support, while the Lionheart, Metal Chocobo and Ultima Weapon are only available in difficult post-game challenges. And even when you have all of those, Zero/One may become a weapon of choice simply for its Targeting Scope ability, which no other Keyblade has and essentially gives it infinite range when there's something for it to hit for as long as the ability is available.* InsaneTrollLogic: Wonderland runs on it as always. The final area where you revisit it has you perform four good deeds for people before the Queen calls for you. She accuses you of stealing her memory, and if you screwed up one task and lied, she uses it as proof you're a criminal. However, if you do them all right she uses your good nature as proof you're hiding something, and if you do them all wrong she realizes you were at least ''trying'' to be good, so she decides the punishment should fit the crime and lets you go as a good deed, snapping "let's see how ''you'' like it!"* InsideAComputerSystem: The entire game takes place in the Disney Castle computer, which has recreated several worlds from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' so Data-Sora can try to fix the bugs in Jiminy's Journal. Sora will occasionally come across various glitches that impede his progress, requiring entering locations called System Sectors to fix the glitches and return the world to normal.* InstantAIJustAddWater:** The data recreations of the characters are completely autonomous without any input from Mickey, just the Journal entries about them. Most of them proceed to act like they would if they were real, not realizing they're in a computer.** [[spoiler:Jiminy's Journal itself gains sentience after being turned into data, showing up as a figure in the Black Coat in the beginning of the game when Data-Sora awakens in the Dive into the Heart. The Journal is actually benevolent and guides Sora (and, by extension, Mickey) through a good part of the game.]]* InterfaceScrew: The boss of [[Disney/AliceInWonderland Wonderland]], the Trickmaster, has a habit of turning the camera sideways and upside-down during the fight against him.* LaserGuidedAmnesia:** Glitches cause everyone in Wonderland to lose their memories.** [[spoiler:Sora's memories are deleted after Hollow Bastion.]]* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: The strongest {{Mook}} in the game is the red-colored Eliminator, [[UndergroundMonkey a more deadly reskin of the Defender Heartless]]. It has a high amount of HP, a shield to block any attacks from the front, can teleport around the battlefield to ensure hitting it is difficult, and can inflict any StandardStatusEffect at random whenever one of its attacks connect.* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: The moogle will tell you that you can check the tutorial section in the menu if you need a refresher on what licenses do, before adding that he has no idea what that menu is. Somewhat justified in that you're in a computer anyway.* LeetLingo:** Due to a glitch when entering Wonderland, Mickey's words will randomly have some letters replaced with corresponding symbols.** You can receive fixed avatars in tag mode, most of which have this as their username.* LighterAndSofter: It can be serious when it needs to, but the game's tone is much more optimistic than both [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts3DDreamDropDistance future]] and [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 previous]] [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep entries]].* LimitBreak: The Overclock Finishers.* LipLock: In ''HD 2.5 [=ReMIX=]'', this is actually almost entirely averted; the cutscenes are without lip lock 90% of the time. It's certainly a vast improvement over previous entries of the series.* LivingMemory: [[spoiler:Castle Oblivion, [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories again.]]]]** [[spoiler:Riku's memories]] as well.* LoopholeAbuse: Several challenges can be completed using small exploits. A challenge near the end of the game has you running an obstacle course with your commands disables, and to receive one reward you have to do it in under a minute. However, for some reason Glide is not enabled, allowing completion in under thirty seconds. In system sectors, there may be a challenge condition such as not using curative commands, or not jumping. However, keyblade abilities that restore HP are fine for the former, and commands and attacks that have Sora leap to attack are allowed for the latter.* LostInTransmission: Once the King, [[DonaldDuck Donald]], and Goofy [[spoiler:realize that they've been sucked into the computer]], they suddenly lose their communication with Chip and Dale.* LowLevelRun: Like in ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2'', levels are earned, but only count if they're installed in a stat matrix. Thus, it's possible to go through all of the worlds with an effective level of one if you take out all of your level chips. There's even a trophy for going through the worlds under level 15.* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Data-Roxas. For those who thought Roxas was "badass" prior to this, his digital counterpart could have easily become a great villain at the level of Marluxia with a dash of Larxene successfully if he dared so felt like it, [[SecretTestOfCharacter testing Sora or not]].]]* MeaningfulEcho: Donald and Goofy remind Data-Sora of the original Sora's "My friends are my power" speech when they're about to be killed by Pete.* MetalSlime: Gold Tricholomas.* MinMaxing: Stat panels can't be moved once placed, though you can swap them with another panel, and panels on a direct route between CPUs double in effectiveness. Thus the dilemma is what stats to prioritize getting the boost, and do you put off exploring a side path to a new ability so you can save panels for the main path.* MirrorMatch: [[spoiler:Sora-Heartless turns into a dark version of Sora.]]* {{Mondegreen}}: In-universe examples.** When Mickey asks what Maleficent is doing in the Datascape, she responds with "Date Escape?" She keeps calling it that for the rest of the game.** When Pete talks to Jafar about Glitches, he has no idea how the word is spelled or pronounced ("Gali-ches?"), and just assumes Pete's some extremely powerful sorcerer.* MoneySink: Want to get every last Debug Device Y? Hope you're prepared to grind for it outside Olympus Coliseum.* MultipleEndings: The worlds [[spoiler: inside Castle Oblivion]] all have three.** Olympus Coliseum also has an alternate ending if you choose not to rescue Cloud and recruit him to your party.* MundaneMadeAwesome: The final battle with [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless in its true form of a Shadow]] is done in the classic "dash, leap, slice" of a SingleStrokeBattle* MythologyGag: In Olympus Coliseum, Hades orders Cloud to "show Hercules who can really go the distance".* NecessaryDrawback: Most Cheat Tuners on the Stat Matrix have some sort of penalty when active. The Loot Cheat increases the chances of random item drops but decreases Sora's HP, the Prize Cheat increases the prize drop chance but increases enemy damage, the CP Cheat increases the amount of CP awarded but decreases the amount of EXP that is gained, and the HP Cheat reduces enemy HP but Sora's is decreased by the same amount.* NewGamePlus: While it's not a "New Game" in the strictest sense, it is possible to replay all the worlds with the items, levels, and stat enhancers that were acquired later in the game in ''Re:coded''.* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:The bugs were created when Naminé was fixing everyone's memories, which almost destroyed the data world.]]** Actually, that's [[spoiler: more a case of IDidWhatIHadToDo on Namine's part. In order to prepare Sora for the pain of experiencing the sealed memories involving Roxas, Xion, Namine, Axel, Terra, Aqua, and Ven, she introduced "hurt" into the Journal in the form of bugs. When you get to the end and she tells you about it, though, she's clearly ''not'' happy with herself.]]* NoGearLevel: [[spoiler:Hollow Bastion]], [[MythologyGag just like last time.]]* NostalgiaLevel: [[spoiler:The final world being Castle Oblivion doesn't affect the gameplay that much, but still, you can call it "Chain Of Memories - The Abridged Series."]]** Come to think of it, the earlier part is like "[[{{VideoGame/KingdomHearts}} Kingdom Hearts]] The Abridged Series."** If the Disney levels in ''Chain of Memories'' were ''Kingdom Hearts The Abridged Series'', then this game could be considered [[Anime/DragonBallKai Kingdom Hearts Kai.]]** And earlier, the Olympus Coliseum labyrinth is a revisit of the ''Chain of Memories'' battle system adapted to a turn-based system with a party, complete with sleights.* NotCompletelyWorthless: Hi-Ethers -- through most of the game, they're a waste of limited space, but when attempting a NoDamageRun for the Fatal Flawless trophy, they're lifesavers when combined with the Oathkeeper Keyblade. Using them will charge your clock level up enough to activate Auto-Life, which will save you if you take a hit. The rules say you must complete the episode with your HP capped at 1. [[LoopholeAbuse There's no rule against using Auto-Life to save yourself.]]* OneHitKill: The Zantetsu Prime ability makes it so that the Zantetsuken Deck Command has a chance to kill any normal enemy in one hit.* OneHitPointWonder: You can turn Sora into one with the last cheat. It's necessary for one of the trophies.* [[spoiler: PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo]]: If you played [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]] then [[spoiler: the final boss fight is this.]]** And arguably it makes the plot make so much more sense. The reason that [[spoiler: Data-Roxas]] has been tormenting Sora throughout [[spoiler: Castle Oblivion]] is both because [[spoiler: he is a Nobody, meaning that he technically doesn't exist, much like data]] and because [[spoiler: he wants Sora to feel the emptiness and hurt in his heart that he felt after he lost Xion - knowing that there was someone ever so important to you, but not remembering who they were or how they affected you.]]* PostFinalBoss: [[spoiler:The fight against Data-Roxas at the end of the game is shorter and much simpler than the earlier one against Sora's Heartless. Data-Roxas has one form with a decent amount of health, while Sora's Heartless has 4 (technically 5) forms that each have their own health bars.]]* RandomDrop: Potions, [[PowersAsPrograms Commands]], and even chips.** RareRandomDrop: Chips won't be easily gotten. You'll need to high up the difficulty to maximum and use the multiplier cheat if you want any chances to see them.* TheReveal: After five years of wondering, speculation, and fanfics on the subject, the fandom of ''KingdomHearts'' now knows [[spoiler:what is written in that oh-so mysterious letter-from-a-bottle that Mickey sent at the end of ''Kingdom Hearts II'': it's to send Sora off on his next big journey to save [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 Roxas, Axel, Xion]], Naminé, [[VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep Ventus, Aqua, and Terra]] from their suffering.]]** LateArrivalSpoiler: If one has been keeping up with the in-depth information on the series, [[spoiler:the contents of the letter was pretty much inferred by the "Reconnect. Kingdom Hearts" Secret Ending]]. This is otherwise averted.** In the case of ''Re:coded''[='=]s secret ending, [[spoiler:the revelation that Xehanort has indeed come back in his complete form, and not by himself, if Yen Sid's theory is to be believed.]]** At the end of the game, you could be forgiven for assuming that the cloaked figure in [[spoiler:Castle Oblivion]] is Riku, who has been appearing to you in his black cloak all game. Then [[spoiler:[[MythologyGag he transports you to The Awakening pillar]], [[MusicalSpoiler the music changes]], [[OhCrap and he pulls out]] [[DualWielding Oathkeeper and Oblivion]]. Yes, HesBack.]]*** Then again, the shape of his hood is different from Riku, who himself suggested that he was not the same guy as the one who appeared in his dream at the start of the game. And in the ''HD 2.5 [=ReMIX=]'', the voice alone is enough of a giveaway.* RegeneratingMana: Spell uses restore themselves.* SaveTheVillain: Sora and the others try to save Maleficent and Pete from deletion in the seventh chapter. [[spoiler:He fails to save them, but Data-Riku manages it.]]* SequelHook: ''Re:coded'' has [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0UbVKQFjjc this]], which sets up ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts3D'' by revealing that [[spoiler:Master Xehanort will return and Sora and Riku are due to take the Mark of Mastery exam.]]* SequentialBoss: You fight Pete and [[spoiler:Data-Riku]] two and three times in a row, respectively; they don't change form, but pull out new moves in each battle.** When you fight [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless, first he's a powered up Darkside, then he's a dark version of Sora, then he's three dark versions of Sora, then he's three super fast dark versions of Sora, then he's a [[{{Mook}} Shadow]].]]*** Even longer if you count the Invisible during the 3D-World Runner-sequence just before the Darkside form.** Every boss in ''Re:coded'' is a sequential boss. Yes, even Darkside.*** Well, except Guard Armor, Cerberus, and [[spoiler:Roxas]].* ShoutOut: Once the boss of the turn-based Olympus Coliseum is defeated, the characters do [[Franchise/FinalFantasy victory poses as the result screen plays.]] Bonus points for [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud actually being the protagonist of a Final Fantasy game.]]** Also in Olympus Coliseum, when Hercules tells Sora and Cloud what the name of the giant, ornery, 3-headed puppy is, Cloud mentions that it sounds [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII fami]][[VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus liar]].*** More from Cloud: when you reach Layer 25, both Sora and Hercules are unable to define the Heartless that acts as its boss, but Cloud immediately identifies it as a [[http://www.khwiki.net/Behemoth Behemoth]]. Understandable, since [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Behemoth_%28Final_Fantasy_VII%29 he's familiar with a very similar creature]].** The Japanese version has the upgraded forms of the Metal Chocobo take their names from the various incarnations of ''Final Fantasy VII'''s Bahamut (Neo, Fury, SIN, and ZERO).** [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX What'd you think I was up here doing? Having a laugh?]]*** By the same token, Tidus' fixed avatar has the username "4cedLaffer".** Ain't no getting off this train we're on.** "Getting through this labyrinth is [[Myth/ClassicalMythology a labor]] in itself."* SingleStrokeBattle: The HD remake features several battle scenes done with cutscene graphics, but more than a few of them end as soon as Sora gets one good hit in. The classic "dash, leap, slice" is done with [[spoiler:Sora's Heartless]], entirely justified due to [[spoiler:its true form as a Shadow being the one participating]].* SoundtrackDissonance: The rather melancholy {{leitmotif}}s of Riku and [[spoiler:Roxas]] play during battles with them.* SpeedRun: Trophies are given for redoing the worlds and clearing them in under a set amount of time. All together, it adds up to beating the whole game in a bit [[FakeLongevity under two hours]].* SpoilerOpening: The ''very first bit'' of the opening is the ending to ''Chain of Memories'', followed by brief interspersed flashes of [[spoiler:Terra's armor collapsing to its knees after the fight with Terranort]], [[spoiler:Ven in the Chamber of Waking]], and [[spoiler:Aqua with the ocean of the Dark Meridian visible behind her]]. It pretty much summarizes the events of ''Kingdom Hearts'', ''Chain of Memories'', and ''Kingdom Hearts II'' in a huge montage with lots of hugging, and concludes with the ''Kingdom Hearts II'' opening [[spoiler:with bonus foreshadowing of Naminé being the last thing you see]] before the title flash. The development team probably went ahead and assumed that [[YouShouldKnowThisAlready if you're playing this game, you already know this stuff]], but the ''Birth by Sleep'' ones are a little surprising, considering it's still fairly recent. Though, [[FridgeBrilliance that's probably why]] they're such brief flashes -- if you hadn't already finished ''Birth by Sleep'', you probably wouldn't even realize what they are.* TimeStandsStill: [[spoiler:Jafar]] gains control over time after [[spoiler:Pete gives him a corrupted lamp.]]* UnexpectedGameplayChange: Locking the Keyhole in some worlds leads to a new area with completely different game mechanics. Traverse Town becomes a 2D side-scrolling platformer that leads to a fight with the Guard Armor, Wonderland turns into [[UnexpectedShmupLevel shoot-em-up]] that leads to a fight with the Trickmaster, and Olympus Coliseum becomes a turn-based RPG reminiscent of the classic ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games that takes place in a large maze.* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: [[spoiler:Castle Oblivion.]]* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: [[spoiler:In the data Castle Oblivion you're met with multiple illusions of the characters you've encountered, and you're given several series of choices that let you be a complete jerk to the characters (i.e. getting the White Rabbit's clock and not giving it back to him when he asks).]] The mysterious figure guiding you actually encourages this, reminding you that the people you're seeing are just hunks of data. [[WhatMeasureIsANonhuman Why should you feel bad for breaking their nonexistent hearts]]? Then again, being Sora, most of it is considered unintentional.%%* VoiceGrunting%%* WakeUpCallBoss: Guard Armor is here to remind you that this isn't your average Kingdom Hearts game.* WhamEpisode: [[spoiler:Agrabah]], oddly enough. After Sora cleans the world of bugs as usual, [[spoiler:Maleficent shows up and shatters Sora's Keyblade, and then kidnaps Riku after [[BigDamnHeroes he and Mickey save him]].]]* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Everyone is now computer data. [[WordOfGod According to Nomura]], this trope is the main theme of the game -- interesting that the [[LighterAndSofter cheeriest game in the series]] would address something so heavy. For an example, when questioned about the nature of Data-Sora's Keyblade:-->'''Nomura:''' It comes from the heart's connections with the data, hinting towards the story theme, "Can a heart be born in an existence made of data?"* WhatTheHellHero: Given to Data-Sora by [[spoiler:the Queen of Hearts]], of all people, [[spoiler:in the Alternate Ending of Wonderland in Castle Oblivion.]]** And since it's Wonderland, you get it for doing everything right.** Even better is that you get a WhatTheHellHero of a different color if you do everything wrong. [[spoiler:The Queen of Hearts almost says the trope name before coming to the conclusion that you were trying to be nice and simply failing spectacularly.]]* WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler:Data-Roxas]] attempts to invoke this on Sora at [[spoiler:Castle Oblivion. Since Sora can just go through each world repeatedly with different results -- and nobody will remember anything when he does -- this is a bit of an [[InvertedTrope inversion]].]]* WhereItAllBegan: The final level brings the confusion over Sora's memories and the journal's erasing full-circle [[spoiler:when Data-Sora heads back to Castle Oblivion.]]----